Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27
अतः परं कर्मशेषं किंचिदस्ति पितामह । वारुणेष्टिर्जपश्चैव तत्करिष्यामि सांप्रतम्
ataḥ paraṃ karmaśeṣaṃ kiṃcidasti pitāmaha | vāruṇeṣṭirjapaścaiva tatkariṣyāmi sāṃpratam
“ഇനി, ഹേ പിതാമഹാ, കർമത്തിൽ എന്തെങ്കിലും ശേഷിക്കുന്നുണ്ടോ? വാരുണീ ഇഷ്ടിയും നിർദ്ദിഷ്ട ജപവും—ഞാൻ അത് ഇപ്പോൾ തന്നെ നിർവഹിക്കും।”
Pulastya (addressing Brahmā as Pitāmaha)
Listener: Brahmā (addressed as Pitāmaha)
Scene: A priestly figure (Pulastya) stands before Brahmā, requesting instruction on any remaining ritual duties; he names the Vāruṇī Iṣṭi and japa, ready to act immediately—an image of disciplined ritual resolve.
FAQs
Dharma is fulfilled by completing even the ‘remaining’ portions of a rite—devotion persists beyond the main ceremony through offerings and japa.
The verse belongs to the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya ritual narrative; the tīrtha is implied through the avabhṛtha/water-rite setting rather than named here.
Performance of Vāruṇī Iṣṭi (Varuṇa-related oblation) and japa (mantra repetition) as concluding duties.